Leaks from the lab

Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, will deliver the 2008 Tanner Lectures on Human Values, a scholarly lecture series held annually at one of nine universities. Chu’s talks — “The Epistemology of Physics and Scientific Revolutions” on Oct. 29 and “Golden Eras of Scientific Institutions” on Oct. 30 — will be held at the Whitney Humanities Center at 4:30 p.m. The talks are free and open to the public. Chu, a professor of physics and molecular and cell biology at the University of California–Berkeley, researches polymer physics, single-molecule biology and fundamental physics, specifically the use of lasers to cool and trap atoms.

Scientist wins Lawrence K. Cecil Award

Scientist Menachem Elimelech will receive the 2008 Lawrence K. Cecil Award for contributions to chemical and environmental engineering at the annual meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers on Nov. 19 in Philadelphia. He will there present a lecture titled “Science and Technology for Sustainable Water Supply.” Elimelech, professor of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, researches the physio-chemical and biochemical processes in engineered and natural environmental systems, the environmental applications of nanomaterials, the transport and adhesion of microbial pathogens, and water-sanitation challenges in developing countries.

Elderly do better when included in treatment decisions

Research at the Yale School of Medicine suggests that elderly patients fare better when they play an active role in their treatment decisions. Among groups studied, patients reported wanting to take part in decisions regarding stopping a medication that treats one condition because it may worsen another. Study author Terri Fried, professor of internal medicine, and her team conducted the study with 66 patients older than 65 who had an average of five chronic medical treatments and took an average of five medications.

Medical School to use new clinical decision software

Yale School of Medicine has received a two-year, $2.5 million contract from the United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that will enable them to use an electronic program called “clinical decision support.” By inputting patient information into the system, physicians will be able to tailor their treatment to specific patients and make more informed clinical decisions.